Tag Archives: music

Night Shifts Black is a four-book contemporary romance series by Alyson Santos. I’ve read the first three books and my review is below. (Limelight, the fourth book in the series is available March 12, 2018.) I would highly recommend you read them in order and feel they are intended for readers 18 years and older.

My FIVE Star Review:

I absolutely loved all three of these books and I’m looking forward to digging into book 4, Limelight.

Night Shifts Black was a truly amazing story and is my favorite of the series. Luke, the lead singer for Night Shifts Black meets Callie after she sits in “the chair.” Everything about this book was great. The heartaches, the friendships, the love, the writing, the music, the chair, everything. This was the first Alyson book I’ve read and I was completely blown away. I couldn’t help but jump right into book two, Tracing Holland, and then book three, Viper.

For me, Tracing Holland was a book of healing and moving forward. Everyone is a bit of a disaster. But as Holland said, ” … we’re all disasters. Perfection is finding that one disaster that makes sense with yours.”

For me, Viper was inspiring! Depression: “The thing with depression is it seems lazy and slow, and then bam! Surprise strike out of nowhere.” Why a viper? Hannah said, “Vipers are badass. They seem lazy and slow, and then bam! Surprise strike out of nowhere. …”

Each book was filled with compelling characters, wonderful storylines, and amazing music. It was a joy to read all the song lyrics and an even greater joy to realize Alyson Santos has a Youtube channel showcasing many of the songs. Check out Greetings from the Inside here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBA-aTmovGY

Go pick up this series today! You will love each and every one of them! I did!

His name is Luke. But nobody knows that. He was an iconic musician before he gave up music. But nobody knows that either. They also don’t know he’s twenty-seven, that he used to have an infectious laugh, and that he’s way too young to be widowed. They certainly don’t know the rest of his tragic story. All they know is that he comes into their café at the same time every morning and stares at the same chair at the same table. They know he’s strange. They know he interrupts their breakfast with a cold blast of air as he hovers in the doorway, mustering the courage to confront a piece of furniture.
No one asks why. No one cares. He’s fine with that. He’s done with life. This isn’t even his story anymore. It’s actually Callie’s, the young writer who sat in his chair one day.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers. Please note this book also addresses the issues of depression and suicide in a compassionate, realistic manner. This book can be read as a standalone, but the story continues in Tracing Holland.

Callie asked if I was ready. And that’s the question, isn’t it? Ready for what? The spotlight? The music? Or ready for life. Ready to face the reality that what I was is going to attack the very fabric of who I am now. No one knows I’m a different person. Well, no one except the two most important people in my life, which is why there’s a remote chance I might actually pull off the comeback I never saw coming.
Then again, that was before Holland Drake crashed into my life. I didn’t ask for her. Heaven knows she didn’t ask for me. But sometimes it’s not about what makes sense; it’s about accepting that not everything will. It’s learning you have a choice when it feels like you don’t. It’s believing even the worst past can still have a future.
And sometimes it’s none of that. Sometimes it’s survival. A blind fight through the pain as you cling to any shred of hope you can find. And it’s those moments, those desperate pleas into the darkness for a flicker of light, when you have no choice but to confront the blessing that often feels like a curse:
You’re still alive. You’re still significant.
You’re once again Luke Craven, frontman for Night Shifts Black.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers. Please note this book also addresses the issues of depression and suicide in a compassionate, realistic manner.

It’s not easy being the bad guy.
Yeah, that’s a lie. It’s pretty damn simple. You act and you own it. You sell your soul to protect those you love and screw the rest.
It’s the restraint that’s hard. The demons that poke at your trigger, burn in your gut—just waiting for a second of freedom to unleash the fire in your soul.
Call me a villain. Call me whatever helps you sleep at night and feel good about the black and white of love. But watch your back because I don’t care. Until I do.
And then I implode.
Note: VIPER directly follows the action in Tracing Holland (NSB #2), but can also be read as a standalone.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers.